Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-06-20
POlSOH IN TN u HUNS.
The Deadly Havoc ls Has Keen causing In
philadelphia fnmiIies.

The Deadly Havoc ls Has Bssu Cau.ing In
philadelphia Families.
About the beginning Of lSs6 great sepss-
ton was caused by succession Of mysterious
deaths that had occurred in the family o
George NJ. Palmer, baker, at the corner o
Otter and Sophia streets, KensingtoD, Phila-
delphie, Between May, 1854, and January
!, 1856, six cofiins had been carried from the
house, containing the bodies OF Palnsr'a
wife and five children, Charles, aged !
Willie. aged 10; Mamie, aged s; FIorrie,
baby, and Emma Lydia, an older child.
Palmer and still four children living, one OF
whom died subsequently, making seven
deaths in all. The symptoms in each case
were those Of chronic lead poisoning, and for
q time the neighbor were disposed TO con-
meet these multitudinous deaths with a dc.
sire on the part of the husband aud father to
rid himself of the burden OF supporting 30
large family. This theory was shown To be
unfounded when on the night OF Tuesday,
January 5, Palmer himself aud bis oldest son
George, aged n, were attacked apparently
with the same mysterious disease that had
carried of the rest Of the family.
The doctors, at the time, were suspicious Of
lead poisoning, aud careful investigation
was made Of the water used in the bakery, to
discover II possible tue source OF the lead.
The attention OF the board OF health was
called to the matter, but all Efforts to trace
the source Of the poison proved iutiie.
Palmer recovered after whils, married u
second time, moved To 504 LehIgh II avenue,
aud al! Gu riOsity about the my s:erious mOr.
tality in his family died out. Interest in the
matter was revived in = very unexpected
manner. On the 9th Of January last little
girl belonging TO family living In tue
neighbOrhOOd OF Palmer's new residence
died In commissions, which were attributed
TO whOOping cough, from u milo form of
which she had been suffering for few
weeks Within couple OF weeks y
younger child, little girl OF three and = half
years, was attacked with precisely the same
symptOns. She fingered few days and died
January %. The very day Of the death, in
the last mentioned case, fifteen months old
boy In the ssme family WAS attacked with
convulsiOns Dr. d. ID. Stewart, chief of the
medical clinic OF Jefferson college hospital,
was called to attend to this case, which
sIeedily yielded To treatment aud the child
recovered. No more cases Of commissions
developed until March Is, when boy seven
and half years OF sge was attacked. The
commissions were severe, following each
other in quick succession until his death,
which occurred twenty eight hours after the
first seizure. DIR. Stewart attended this cass
~ he did all that followed. AInIi - mar ried
woman In the same family, aged thirty seven,
was attacked IN similar manner, ths case
however, soon yielding to treatment Subse
quently u girl, aged twelve, died In conyui-
sions and TWO other children, u girl aged
nearly fourteen and boy aged lIine, were
attacked In the same manner, but recovered.
Dr. Stewart being convinced that lead poi
sOning was the source OF the trouble now,
proceeded to make an exhaustive search
with . view Of finding where the poison
originated. He found that the family had
lived In the house i've years; that no csses
Of serious illness had manifested themsel yes
prior to the appearance Of the commissions
A careful examination OF the house showed
II 10 be In good sanitary condition. lnci-
dentally learning that the family had
changed their baker q short time prior TO
the outbreak OF the disease, aad that tho
new baker had lost several members of
his own family with precisely the same.
symptoms before moving into the neighbOr.
hood, the Doctor visited the latter to make
inquiries he found the bakers lie sutieY-
ing from Intense lead poisoning, although
vulsive stage Dr. Stewart told the baker st
once the source OF her trouble and asked him
ne used any artificial cOloring about his
estaDlishment He stoutly denied using any.
accompanied him to the cellar on 4 tour OF
inspection and unearthed pitcher contain.
ing . yellow compound, he econisssed 70 using
the article In the pitcher Tor the purpOs of
cOlOring tea buns and cinnamon bt,na The
amount confessed to WAS . tablespoonful 70
forty pounds Of dough. Dr. Stewart tOk q
sample Of this compound to DIR. Lehman
who pronounced 1t chrOmate Of lead. An
analysis OF ono OF the buns made also by DIR.
Ledmsn showed 1t TO contain two grsins Ol
The family which had been thus mystsri
ously stricken had been In the habit OF pur
chasiDg daily from the baker from twelve tG
eighteen OF these buns and double the mum
Der for uss on Sunday. Everybody In tht
1sSs " sS.n -
anything slss except coffee or milk. The
naeeri who proved 10 b. Palmer, disclaimed